Having a small kitchen is something that many homeowners have to deal with. When this important area of your home feels a bit confining, it is vital to make design choices that will visually expand the space. You can do this by picking out the right kitchen tile for the walls and floor from Standard Tile. We are the premier kitchen tile supplier in the New Jersey area with six stores to serve you. Let’s look at the best tile tips for a small kitchen that can still be charming and feel quite spacious.

Choose the Right Size in a Small Kitchen –  Kitchen Floor Tile Ideas

With so many options in tile to choose from, it’s a good idea to choose the right tile size to make the space seem bigger. This isn’t necessarily just using small tiles either, which is a common misconception. For the floor area, it’s actually going to make the kitchen look larger with tile that is at least a 12 x 12-inch square, which used to be the industry standard. Nowadays, a 12×24-inch tile is even more common and standard of a floor size. You can go even larger than that! That way you’ll have fewer grout lines so that the tile makes the floor space seem open and uncluttered.

Choosing the right tile is really important if you have a galley kitchen that is long and narrow. This is pretty much the only style of a small kitchen where large tiles won’t work, and you’ll have to pick some that are a bit smaller. For any other type of small kitchen, larger tiles should be ideal in the space for the flooring.

Shake Things Up With Diagonal Backsplash Tile

The tile on the walls of your kitchen is something you can get a little creative with in kitchen wall tile designs. No matter which style of tile you choose, the right backsplash for a small kitchen can trick the eye into making the space seem larger by the way the tile is placed on the wall or the direction it goes. Of course, the tile can be laid in a vertical or horizontal direction, but the optimal way is to lay it on a diagonal, or even a herringbone pattern, depending on the shape of the tile.

Even when utilizing a small kitchen backsplash tile size, a diagonal layout of the tile can make the kitchen feel taller and wider. It’s a cool trick to lay tile this way. Pick out a ceramic tile that will add the illusion of height when it can be laid out on a diagonal angle.

Consider the Color of the Tile Carefully

Whether using large or small kitchen floor tiles, color is one of the most important considerations when trying to make a space feel bigger. The traditional method is by using colors that are neutral or light. It definitely holds true for the kitchen area. Lighter colors are airy and feel like they are expanding the space. The opposite is true for dark colors which can make an area shrink down in size in small kitchen layouts. This is especially true on the wall area because darker colors tend to feel like they are closing in on you.  

Open up the space with brights and neutrals that reflect the light in ceramic or stone tiles for your petite kitchen. Think eggshell, white, light blue, tan or grey in soft muted tones. Plus, if you choose a color for the backsplash that matches the kitchen floor tile, the space is going to feel more continuous and open with fewer divisions.

Choosing one overall color for the entire kitchen will have the benefit of making the entire space seem larger than it really is.

Takeaways

• Choose larger floor tiles to expand the size of how the kitchen feels.
• Place backsplash tiles on a diagonal, or herringbone to trick the eye.
• Lighter colors will always make a small kitchen feel bigger.
• Picking out one overall tile color tone for walls and floors will open up the space.

You can check out our gallery of images to get some small kitchen floor tile ideas. Call us today or visit us online to schedule an appointment and see everything our design team has for you at Standard Tile in person.